1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a first modular unit for the fabrication of conveyors, said first modular unit comprising an upper surface and a lower surface and means along at least one, preferably two long sides lying diametrically opposite each other, for pivotal hinging of the first modular unit to a second modular unit, and where extending from the upper surface said first modular unit comprises a list carrier with a front surface and a rear surface, an upper concluding end and two side edges lying opposite each other, the middle/center plane of said carrier standing substantially at right-angles to the upper surface and extending parallel with the long sides.
The invention also concerns a conveyor for the transport of items which makes use of the modular unit described above.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
From U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,514 there is known a modular unit which is used for conveyors where these conveyors are of a rising character, i.e. they are required to transport materials at an angle in relation to the horizontal. These materials can be, for example, flour, coffee and similar materials or materials which are of a more coarsely grained size.
The conveyor is fabricated with modular units which are arranged at the side of one another in the formation of the conveyor breadths and where the front and rear of the modular units are pivotally connected to a similar row, whereby the conveyor is formed. On the modular units there are carriers, i.e. substantially right-angled plate pieces, which ensure that the material to be conveyed and at an angle in relation to the horizontal does not slide off the belt, but is caught by these carriers. During this process the problem arises that the weight of the material can result in the carriers not remaining tight between the links, so that they do not stand correctly in relation to one another. Especially with fine materials such as flour and sugar, the sugar and the flour will thus run away between the carriers.
In the above-mentioned U.S. patent, an attempt to solve this problem is made by providing a groove in the one concluding edge of the carrier and a corresponding tongue in the other, which thus enter into engagement with each other in a form of tongue-and-groove construction. However, this gives rise to areas where accumulations of bacteria can take place, and where as a result of the intricate configuration it can be difficult for these bacteria accumulations to be removed again, and consequently the solution is not considered to be hygienic.
Alternatively, the surfaces on the carriers, which abut up against each other, can extend in an inclined manner so that a tightening effect should arise. However, also in the areas where these abut up against each other there arises a pronounced groove effect, which also gives rise to the collection of dirt, and moreover where the inclined course will probably result in a tight abutment as far as that surface which is the supported surface is concerned, but where that surface which is the supporting surface will have greater risk of separation in those cases where the carrier is exposed to a heavy load.